Jakarta Principles

A set of sixteen principles designed to “ensure the independence and effectiveness of anti-corruption agencies”.

The Jakarta Principles were agreed by current and former heads of anti-corruption agencies, anti-corruption practitioners and other global experts. They were subsequently endorsed by the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (Panama 2014), and noted – although not formally endorsed – by the United Nations Convention against Corruption states parties.

The Principles cover key areas such as accountability, how to maintain independence from political or other external interference, and financial arrangements. While the Principles have been criticized for being insubstantial in parts, they are also regarded as the most widely recognized set of guiding principles for anti-corruption agencies.

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Jeitinho

A Portuguese term used widely in Brazil to describe obtaining an advantage or solving a given problem by seeking reciprocal favours.

Described by DaMatta (1991) as “a clever dodge to bend the rules”, jeitinho utilizes different strategies of employing social capital, communication skills or personal resources in order to achieve individual goals, and may involve circumvention of social norms or formal regulations to accomplish this. The word literally translates to either “little way” or “knack”, which implies that it is both personalized, and dependent on the individual's skills in articulating the request to receive a jeitinho.

The related expression “jeitinho simpático” (meaning “nice way”), suggests positive connotations of harmony, resourcefulness, politeness and creativity. However, the expression “jeitinho malandro” (meaning “rogue way”) indicates the role of jeitinho in potentially corrupt acts such as bending the rules to grease the wheels of bureaucracy; this may involve the use of manipulative approaches characterized by dishonesty, deception and the violation of integrity standards in order to gain an undue advantage.

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Further reading

DaMatta, R. 1991. Carnivals, Rogues and Heroes: Toward a Sociology of the Brazilian Dilemma. Notre Dame, IL: University of Notre Dame Press.

De Paiva, F. 2018. “Jeitinho (Brazil)”. In A. Ledeneva (ed.), The Global Encyclopaedia of Informality, Volume 1: Towards Understanding of Social and Cultural Complexity. London: UCL Press.